This course focuses on California constitutional provisions, California statutes and California court decisions that pertain to environmental protection, natural resources and land use regulation. Topics covered include the California Environmental Quality Act, California Coastal Act, California Forest Practices Act, California Endangered Species Act, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), public trust law, surface water rights, California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), California planning and zoning law, conditional use permits and variances, regulatory takings claims related to land use restrictions, and the use of specialized mandamus lawsuits in California to challenge the decisions of local and state environmental/land use agencies. A significant portion of the grade for this course involves analysis of the Complaint and trial court briefs in an environmental lawsuit challenging portions of the California High Speed Rail project.